Man accused of spreading HIV sentenced in rape charges

ANADARKO, Okla. – It’s one of the first cases of its kind in Oklahoma. A Grady County man is accused of knowingly intending to transmit the HIV. He’s now headed to prison.

NewsChannel 4 first told you about the investigation last year when Chris Sylve was accused of the crime. He was later charged with rape of a 14-year-old victim.

Today Sylve was sentenced following a guilty plea.

It’s been about a year since prosecutors charged Chris Sylve for knowingly transmitting the HIV. This week he was sentenced and is now on his way to prison.

Leah Edwards, Grady County Asst. D.A., says, “With cases of this nature our office seriously considers the desires of the underage victim and also that victim’s family. That’s what we did in this case.”

But it wasn’t to the extent that prosecutors had hoped for. The young victim’s family declined to pursue the case resulting in three second-degree rape charges; two of those knowingly intending to transfer HIV charges for another victim.

As for a third victim, too much time had passed for charges to be filed. That victim is 23-year-old Jennifer Goforth. Silve gave her full blown aids and the baby she had with him was born with aids.

“I was honestly shocked. I was disappointed. We pay every day and didn’t do anything wrong,” Jennifer Goforth explains.

Goforth didn’t know Sylve had the disease until she became sick. She’s been focusing on rigorous treatment for her and her now five-year-old daughter.

“She was born with full blown aids and does really good on her own,” Goforth says.

And although Sylve won’t be held accountable for infecting Goforth and her daughter, he’ll still spend time behind bars and in the meantime Goforth knows another day will come.

“I just hope that one day when I have to explain, she accepts it for what it is,” Goforth says.

Sylve received 15 years on each of those rape charges and five years for each of the knowingly transferring the HIV charges. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender as well as being monitored after he’s released from prison.